“The Christmas Rush Is Over”

From one of my favorite Carpenter tunes. Now we’re on the cusp of a New Year. I hope you got everything you wanted, and people were pleased with what you gave them. My daughter got me a port-a-potty because she knows how stressed I get when our commodes stop working, which unfortunately is a fairly common thing. Mimi and granddad gave waders to the grands, and while they are a bit large, everyone (parents & kids) were thrilled. Next time the grands say they want to climb over the wall and get in the lake, there will not be a big fight. We’ll all say, “sure, just put on your waders first.”

 My sweet husband gave me a gift certificate for a new washer and dryer that he knows I’ve been yearning after for some time. Our current ones are over 10 years old. The dryer takes forever to dry clothes, and the washer tends to keep a puddle of water in the bottom of the tub, giving a musty odor to that part of our house.  

Kathryn prepared a wonderful Christmas brunch aided by a few items from the rest of us. Laura brought a kale and sweet potato dish I’ve got to get the recipe for. It was scrumptious. Granddaughter Lilly’s egg free GF sugar cookies were incredible. My contribution was a pumpkin pie and iced tea. (Its a special blend.) And we all ate way too many sweets, but hey it was Christmas, and by now we’re all getting back on track with healthier eating.

As we close off 2021, it’s time to take stock. What worked. What could’ve gone better. Make plans for 2022.

First and foremost, we got the vaccinations. Not just one or two, but a third booster. Thank you scientists and medical professionals for making this work. My stress level has gone down, even with the advent of Omicron. I’m still distressed at the numbers of folks I see walking around unmasked like they’re oblivious to this pandemic we’ve been living through if we’re lucky. But let’s not forget over 800,000 people have died. Think of that and spread the pain of that loss to all their family, friends, and co-workers. Please, please, if you don’t have a health reason preventing you, get the vaccination. Do it for yourself. Do it for your family. Do it for the rest of us.

Take time to count your blessings.

Seeing the deer is one of my blessings. I love this shot with the lake in the background.

Even in the worst of disasters, and we’ve had many this past year, folks have been able to look around and find something to be thankful for. If you’re among the fortunate, this is a great time to make that end of the year donation to your favorite charity or two or three. These are the organizations that step in during a crises and help the hurting. Here are some of my favorites:

The Red Cross. Your Local Food Bank. Your Local Women’s Shelter. Habitat for Humanity.

Make it a point to thank your healthcare professionals for the incredible and demanding job they’ve been doing. I ache for the doctor who I head say: “There is no medical school class that prepares you for having to tell people their loved one won’t make it and there’s nothing more anyone can do. And then to repeat that and repeat that over and over.” God bless us all, as Tiny Tim said.

On the whole, I’m an optimist. I choose to think things will improve. I choose to believe most people are good at heart if misinformed or misguided. Remember I write books which end Happily Ever After. I like to think it’s my small contribution to making the world a better place.  My plans for 2022 include publishing my next book, and I’ll begin writing it next week. So Happy 2022, y’all. God bless and be safe.

If you haven’t yet, Check out COMPROMISE, no longer on sale, but still a good deal. Not much more than your favorite latte. 🙂

https://books2read.com/u/3RJDqn

Blurbs for each of my books with links can be found on my website https://authormarsharwest.wordpress.com/ Where you can also sign up for my blog and my  NEWSLETTER  MRW Press LLC (list-manage.com

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